Culture arts and crafts Crete
As in much of Greece, the people in the past were self-sufficient with
regards to much of their food and the tools, implements and artefacts that
were required for both everyday and more specialised use. These skills were
developed over generations, passing from the old to the young.
Traditionally, women were taught from an early marriage to become skilled at
producing textiles for the home, building up a complete dowry in preparation
for her future marriage. The skills of men revolved around their
agricultural and domestic chores, producing artefacts that would make their
lives more efficient as well as decorative and affording protection of their
families. Nowadays, most people in Crete are as inept at producing these
goods as the rest of their western European neighbours. The art, however,
still exists in a few skilled craftspeople who produce wonderful goods which
are now mostly sold in the tourist industry.
Basket weaving
Basket weaving is an element of the Cretan local folk tradition. The
agricultural work of the Cretan motivated them to develop the skill of
basket weaving to make their chores easier. Natural reeds and grasses were
picked from the surrounding areas and woven into original and attractive
designs.
Ceramics
As above, clay jars and pots were created due to necessity and over time
evolved to include more decorative ornamental artefacts. Traditionally made
from a local hard material, Cretan pottery is famous for its beautiful
original design and resistance to high temperatures which enabled it to be
used for cooking. The tradition of producing ceramics in Crete goes back to
the dawn of time but was still a thriving industry until fairly recently. At
the beginning of the 20th century, four pottery centres (one in each
prefecture) were established on the island. In the two largest centres the
potters formed themselves in guilds and seasonally migrated to different
regions of the island to exploit the raw materials necessary to produce the
best pots. These migrations were known as "vendema". The most famous and
largest potters" centre in Crete is in Thrapsano in Iraklion. Indeed, the
name of the village comes from the Greek word "thrapsala" or potsherds which
were found in abundance around the kilns. The potters of Thrapsano were
acknowledged by all Cretan potters as having perfect skill and artistry.
However, as a consequence of the vendemes, coupled with cheaper mass
produced goods, the demand began to wane by the 1960s. Fortunately tourism
as led to an increase in demand and many potters have rebuilt kilns and
renewed production to meet this demand. Other important centres are
Margarites in Rethymno, Nohia in Chania and Kentri in Lerapetra. All of
these, however, virtually ceased production in the early 1960s.
Wood Carving
The traditional art of wood carving or wood sculpture is very important in
Crete and, in the past, many beautiful items of religious art were produced
on the island. Today, many of the icons, icon stands, pulpits, candlesticks
and other religious artefacts still decorate the churches around the island.
Sadly the skill is slowly disappearing as sons chose other more lucrative
occupations and refused to take over the skills from fathers and
grandfathers. The few that can still be found use their talents to produce
mostly musical instruments although, in the mountainous regions, you can
find examples of local production of small items such as forks, spoons,
fabric stamps, etc. Keeping this tradition alive however is the new Wooden
Sculptures Museum at the foot of Mt. Psiloritis which operates both as a
museum and a workshop and has a permanent collection of the work of wood
sculptor, George Koutantos.
Metal Work and Knife Making.
The Ancient Greeks considered metallurgy an important art that was sacred to
the gods and demigods and during the Second Byzantine Period this skill
developed considerably producing beautiful iron tools and fittings, heavily
influenced by Byzantine art. With the arrival of the Venetians and then
again under Turkish domination the import of iron was heavily controlled
leading to a reduction in output. The Cretan artisan had limited supplies of
material but used what was available to produce objects to meet their
everyday needs, in particular agricultural tools and knives. The latter
constitutes a great tradition in Cretan folk art. The island's troubled
history required the local inhabitants to be constantly armed in order to
protect their freedom. The majority of Cretan knives have an elegant design
with a curved handle embellished with silver or animal horn. The razor sharp
steel blade is protected with a sheath of either wood, leather or silver
depending upon the status of the owner. Today, the tradition of the Cretan
knife can only be seen as part of the traditional Cretan costume in museums
or during special festival days.
Traditional Textiles
The women of Crete are renowned for their skills in weaving and embroidery,
and until fairly recently, every old traditional Cretan house contained a
vertical or upright loom where the women spent much of their time producing
the necessary textiles for the family. Today, few women choose this as an
occupation but there is still enough production taking place to meet local
and tourist demands. The designs are of beautiful colours and of striking
geometrical patterns that are unique to Crete. This type of design
originated from the Byzantium period, probably coming to Crete in the C11th.
Patterns were passed down from one generation to the next; from the nobility
to the common folk and passing therefore into the traditional folk heritage
of Crete. Today these unique patterns adorn textiles used for both household
and decorative purposes ranging from bedspreads, wall hangings, sofa covers,
cushions and clothing as well as saddle cloths and saddle bags used by
Cretan farmers and shepherds until quite recently. The materials used are
wool, flax, cotton and silk which are dyed (often red) by the weavers
themselves. .